America Unearthed (2012–…): Season 4, Episode 10 - Exodus of the Templars - full transcript

Wolter: Friday,
October 13, 1307...

The holy roman church

Orders the knights templar,

Once its most trusted
band of soldiers,

To be rounded up and burned
at the stake for betrayal.

[ screaming ]

♪♪

Wolter: The surviving templars
disappeared.

Legends say they fled
to the new world,

Taking the church's
most valuable secrets

And treasures with them.



I've spent the better part
of two decades trying to prove

The templars really made
their trip to america.

I've made breakthroughs
and encountered resistance

Every step of the way,

But a brand-new clue
on the edge of north america

Could mean I'm closer

To finding the templar
treasure than ever before.

♪♪

The history that we were
all taught growing up is wrong.

My name is scott wolter,
and I'm a forensic geologist.

There's a hidden history
in this country

That nobody knows about.

There are pyramids here,
chambers, tombs, inscriptions.

They're all over this country.



We're going to investigate
these artifacts and sights,

And we're going to
get to the truth.

Sometimes, history isn't
what we've been told.

AMERICA UNEARTHED - SEASON 4
EP - 10 - Exodus of the Templars

♪♪

♪♪

Just 60 miles from
the easternmost point

In north america,

In the frigid waters off
the coast of newfoundland

Lies a remote
uninhabited island.

I'm headed there now to inspect
a mysterious inscription

Only visible
for an hour each day

Before it's submerged
by the ocean tide.

I believe the carving,
which I just learned about,

Could be an important clue
in a mystery

I've been trying
to solve for 20 years.

What happened
to the enigmatic order

Of the knights templar in 1307

After they were exiled
by the holy roman church?

I think they came to america,

And they brought a treasure
of immeasurable value with them.

If the templars really made it
across the atlantic,

The carving on this island
might help prove it

And force a rewrite of history
as we know it.

♪♪

The tip that led me

To the island came in an e-mail
from allen dawe.

He's a newfoundland native
who thinks someone

Should study the island's
mysterious carving

Before it erodes
in the ocean tide.

Because of my work exploring

The legends
of the knights templar,

He thinks that someone
should be me.

Dawe: Hello?

Allen, this is scott wolter.

How are you?
Hi, scott, pretty good.

How are you?
Well, I'm pretty good.

I got your e-mail, and I'm
looking at your photographs,

And I am really intrigued.

I think I may know
who carved this,

And if so, it's a big deal.

Is there any chance
I could see this thing?

Yeah, for sure.
I can take you there.

One small thing... we can
only view it during low tide.

So book your time accordingly.

Low tide is fine with me.

I'll book a flight,
and I'll let you know

When I'm going to be there.

♪♪

♪♪

When it comes to the treasure
the templars took from europe,

We're talking
about the holy grail,

The ark of the covenant,
and written proof of things

I think the church
wants to keep secret,

Like the fact that
jesus had a child.

If this carving is a clue
to where the templars went,

I need to see it.

Wolter: Hey. I really appreciate
you contacting me,

And I have to admit, I'm pretty
excited about this inscription.

When did you first learn
about this thing?

There's a local legend
that a farmer was harvesting

Kelp for his garden
for fertilizer.

Okay.

And he stumbled upon it
at least 75 years ago,

And it's been a local legend
ever since then.

I'm thinking it's much,
much older than that.

Well, maybe, just maybe
we can date this thing.

That's amazing.
I can't wait for you to see it.

I'm ready to go. How about you?

Yeah. I got a charter waiting.

♪♪

♪♪

Wolter: As we push through
the waters of placentia bay,

I can't help but think
that the island

We're headed to
is right in the path

I believe the templars
took to reach the new world.

The templars' exodus from europe
began in jerusalem

Where they removed
the church's priceless treasures

From the temple of solomon
for safekeeping.

Next, they headed
to their home base, France,

Where they were seen fleeing
in ships from la rochelle.

After landing in scotland,

They connected
with earl henry sinclair,

The man who I believe
took them to the new world,

But where else
did the templars stop?

Is the inscription allen dawe
wants me to see a sign

The knights came ashore here
in newfoundland?

The holy grail of lost treasures
actually is the holy grail,

So if this carving is a clue
to where it might be,

I need to see it.

♪♪

♪♪

Once we dock, we'll only have
one hour to analyze

This carving before the tide
swallows it whole.

It's at the foot of a stone
structure known as the haystack.

♪♪

Okay. So where did you say this
was, so right in here?

Yeah, right in
this general area.

Let's just move this stuff.

All right. So...

♪♪

Oh. There it is. That's it.

Yeah. Look at that.

Triple-barred cross.

This looks like an l.

That's an m for sure,
and then this t or cross

With another t
almost attached at the bottom.

I really like
what I'm seeing here.

This is a beautiful
triple-barred cross,

Which could be related
to the templars...

Right.
...And their belief systems.

The templars considered
this triple-barred cross

A sacred symbol.

It's called the pontifical cross

Because it's carried
before the pope.

As the church's fighting force,

The templars also
carried this symbol,

And it remained important
to them long after their exile.

That is a beautiful symbol,

But exactly what these other
letters mean, I'm not sure.

One theory is that
jacques cartier

Carved it as a mapping point
when he was mapping the coast.

Okay.

Also, it's been theorized
that saint brendan the navigator

May have carved it.

Both theories are
certainly plausible.

Jacques cartier was
a french explorer

Who sailed to
modern-day canada in 1534

And claimed the land for France.

Brendan was an irish saint,

Who lived from around 484
to 577 ad.

The story of his journey
to a fruitful land

Called the isle of the blessed

Is laid out in a book
called "the navigatio,"

And has been interpreted
as potential proof

That he sailed to north america,

But I noticed something
that makes me think

These carvings may not be
as old as I'd hoped,

That they couldn't have
been carved by cartier,

Brendan, or the templars.

Wolter: Now, there's a couple
things that I noticed right away.

The edges are sharp.

It doesn't look like
there's a lot of weathering.

The inscription looks
relatively fresh,

And what I would like to do now
is take a look,

A closer look at those lines.

♪♪

Let's take a look.

My microscope reveals details

That make me think
my initial impression was wrong.

Those grooves are a lot more
rounded than I thought.

See? It's got a rounded bottom.

See that? Dawe: Yeah.

This type of rock
is called silicified sediment.

It's ancient, and it's also
extremely hard,

Capable of standing up
to the pounding ocean waves

For long periods of time without
eroding the way most rocks do.

The fact that the grooves
of these symbols

Are rounded at the bottom

Tells me they must have
been here for a long time,

And it's reminiscent
of the groove pattern

In another carving I think
is the work

Of the knights templar...

The inscription on
the narragansett runestone,

Discovered off pojac point
in rhode island.

The inscription on
the narragansett runestone

Has never been fully translated,
but that 2-1/2-ton rock

Has something I know
is connected to the templars...

One of their trademarked
symbols, the hooked x.

So even though this may
look relatively young...

Mm-hmm.

...I'm thinking it might be
older than we think,

And based on the hardness
of this rock

And the weathering
that I do see in these grooves,

Could this have been carved at
the time of the knights templar?

Absolutely. Wow, that's amazing.

It is.

This beautiful, perfect cove
would have been very enticing

And a perfect place to land

After coming all the way
across the atlantic ocean,

And this could be
conclusive proof

That one of the landing points
for the knights templar

In the new world was right here,

And what I'm hoping is that
this new piece of evidence,

This new bread crumb

Could possibly lead
to the templar treasure,

And the thing that speaks
to me the most

Is this triple-barred cross.

What's next for you?

Well, I need to go to a place

Where I think I'm going to find
hopefully the exact same cross.

Where's that? Scotland.

♪♪

♪♪

Wolter: I just examined
a brand-new clue

That might be tied
to the knights templar.

It's an inscription
in newfoundland

That I think the templars
carved on a transatlantic voyage

To the new world in 1398.

The key symbol in
the newfoundland inscription

Is a triple-barred cross,

And I've heard there's another
one carved somewhere else,

At a place called
wemyss caves here in scotland.

Wemyss caves is rumored
to have been a hiding place

For the knights templar
in the century

After they were exiled
by the church.

If these caves have
the same symbol

I found carved in newfoundland,

And the one here dates
back the 14th century,

It could mean both places were
stops on the templars' quest

To escape europe with
their storied treasure in tow.

Since I've never been here
before,

I've enlisted
historian tony mcmahon

To help me get access.

♪♪

Wolter: Well, tony,
what I'm looking for

Is evidence of
the knights templar being here.

Legend has it that
after the put-down in 1307,

Some of the templars
escaped to scotland,

And they were hidden
in these caves for decades,

And they were protected by the
earls, like earl henry sinclair.

I know the cave
you need to see.
All right.

But to get there,
we're going to have to have

A little walk on that seawall,

So mind your footing.

As a geologist, I can tell you
these caves

Were carved from the sea between
8,000 and 5,000 years ago.

This cave is normally
closed to the public.

It is dangerous, but I've got us
special access.

The reason for the gates

Is to keep locals
from partying inside the caves

And destroying any
of the hundreds of carvings

Etched by cave dwellers
over thousands of years.

Oh. There we go.

Many date back to the dark ages.

♪♪

There.
I'll get some light for you.

All right.

♪♪

It's down there.

Down there. That little hole?

You're going to have to crouch,

Find your own way
how to do this.

I'm going to go sideways on.

Here we go.

♪♪

Squeezing into the entry

And crawling
through the tight passage

Is a small price to pay for
what I'm hoping to see next.

♪♪

Well, you've delivered
on a cave.

That's for sure.

Wow.

Look at this.

It's huge.

If fugitive templars wanted
to hide here,

There's plenty of room,
no problem.

This is awesome.

As you can see, this whole cave
is just filled

With inscriptions
that are dated,

I mean, right up
to the present day.

I want to see that carving.
Where's that?

I think what you're looking for
is over here.

♪♪

Holy [bleep]

Look at that.

It's perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

I can't believe how much
this carving

Looks like the one
I saw in newfoundland.

It's a mirror image.

It's exactly the same.

I can't believe it.

I brought a couple photos
to show you.

Look at that.
Is that not exactly the same?

Mcmahon:
That's exactly the same.

It can't be a coincidence.

To me, this tells me
that there was contact.

As an archaeologist here,

Do you believe
that that's medieval

And that it could even have been
carved by the knights templar?

I'm not spotting any other
templar symbols

When I look around the cave.

That makes dating
this triple-barred cross

To the time frame
of the templars' exile

In the 14th century
even more important

Because it doesn't look like

They left
behind any other clues.

So what I'm going to do is,
I'm going to take a very close

Look at this carving,
and I'm going to compare it

With the rest of them
in the cave here,

And depending on what we see,
we might be onto something big.

Since this carving is
inside a cave,

It's harder to date
than inscriptions

That are exposed
to the forces of nature

And weather away at a rate
we can measure,

But there is something here that
might help me figure it out...

Soot.

I see it inside these carvings.

It's evidence people have
started fires inside this cave.

There's black secondary material
on the grooves,

And that's caused by
probably soot from fires

And secondary minerals

Deposited in solution that have
moved through the rock

Over the years,

And that takes time for this
to build up and to develop.

Now what I need to do is look at
some of these younger carvings

And see how they compare to this

And might be able to get
a better sense of the age.

The dates that were carved
in here are perfect points

Of comparison to use for dating
the triple-barred cross.

If the knights templar
really carved this cross

During the 14th century,
I should see more soot

In the cross
than in the other carvings.

The 1947 has essentially no
buildup of the black material.

1861, we start to see it
developing

In the bottom of the grooves,

But nothing like we have
with the cross.

Clearly, this cross
is much older

Than all
the other carvings here.

So that fits.

So they carved it here
where they were living,

Maybe as part of a ritual,

And then when they got over
to north america,

They carved it again,

And if the templars made it over
to the new world,

Then their treasure
probably did too.

♪♪

Wolter: I'm on a mission
to prove the knights templar

Made it to america

And to find treasures of
the church they took with them.

The triple-barred-cross symbols
carved on a newfoundland shore

And deep inside a scotland cave
lead me to believe the templars

Spent time
in both remote locations.

Mcmahon: Before we move on,
I think you need to look

At a castle above us,

Which may have been
connected to these caves.

That, I have to take a look at.

Well, follow me.

[ chuckles ]

♪♪

Well, this castle is in pretty
tough shape now.

Who built this?

Well, this was built
by the macduffs,

And they were one of the most
powerful families in scotland.

They used to crown the kings.

You may even have heard of them

In the shakespeare play
"macbeth."

But sometime around
the 14th century,

They lost control of this
to a family called the wemyss.

Wolter:
Well, if the wemyss controlled
this land in the 14th century,

Then they had to have known
about the templars

That were living in the cave
right below us.

You would think so.

And if they did,
then the wemyss also

Had to have known the sinclairs

Because earl henry brought the
templars over to north america.

They had to have known
each other.

♪♪

Wolter: Now that I've figured
out the sinclair and wemyss

Families
were connected by marriage,

That gives me even more reason
to believe both families

Had strong templar connections
that helped a band of knights

Make a voyage to the new world

With treasure in tow
in the 14th century possible.

♪♪

♪♪

I've heard that a carving
in the bowels of rosslyn chapel,

The church made famous
in the "da vinci code"

For harboring secrets
of jesus' bloodline,

Is a secret map
that could hint at

Where they ended up
with the treasure.

In 2003, a researcher
named ashley cowie

Suggested that the diamond
shapes, called lozenges,

In this carving found in the
church's crypt were symbols

Representing the latitude
of four separate locations...

Jerusalem, rosslyn, orkney,
and the faroe islands.

When placed on a map,

Those four sites show
the beginning of the path

The templars might have taken
to the new world,

And the haystack carving
in newfoundland suggests

Another stop.

Cowie's theory is based
on the templar practice

Of precisely measuring
the angles of the sun

At sunrise and sunset on
the winter and summer solstices.

Depending on where in the world
you were located,

The diamond shape created
would be different

Because the sun would be at
a different point in the sky.

Closer to the equator,
the diamond shapes are flatter.

Closer to the north
and south poles,

The diamonds get taller.

I need to see these symbols
for myself and figure out

If there are any clues
associated with them

That could reveal more than
the locations cowie found,

Specifically, a continued
voyage to america.

Wolter: So, tony,
when we go in there,

I want to show you
these carvings

That are certainly controversial
and I think are definitely

Connected
to the knights templar.

We might meet a little
resistance in there

Because from what I know,

They don't like any of
that templar-related stuff.

Well, you know what?
That's perfectly fine.

They are welcome to express
their opinion,

And we can respectfully
agree to disagree.

Well, let's go in
and investigate.

All right.

♪♪

♪♪

Rogan: Well, welcome
to rosslyn chapel.

Wolter: Thank you, fiona.

Tell us a little bit about
the history of the church.

It was built in 1446,
or shall we say started in 1446,

And building continued until
1484 when sir william sinclair,

The founder, died.

Mm.
It was unfinished
at that point.

It would have been quite
a magnificent building.

♪♪

William sinclair was the
grandson of earl henry sinclair.

I think he built rosslyn chapel
as a memorial to his grandfather

And the knights he left behind,

But he hid clues
to earl henry's voyage,

Like the treasure map
I'm going to show tony inside.

I'm here to look at lozenges,

And I know they're down
in the sacristy.

So is that something
we could take a look at?

Absolutely.
If you'd like to follow me,

I'll take you down there now.

♪♪

So, gentlemen, this is
the sacristy, or crypt.

It would have been a workshop
for the stonemasons

While the rest of the chapel
was being built.

It'd have a fireplace.

It would be warm and dry.

Look around for yourselves
and see what you think.

♪♪

Right away, I spot the lozenges,
the diamond shapes on the wall

That comprise
the alleged treasure map.

There's no question
other people think

The carving is something else.

Fiona, tell me
what your thoughts are.

What do you see here?

What do you think was carved
here and why?

Nobody knows because
there are no records.

It's hard to say, but if you
were asking me personally...

Yeah?

...I think it's quite typical
medieval working drawings.

Some people have said it looks
like the drawing

Of one of the pinnacles outside.

You think it might have been
one of the spires outside?

Yes.

Fiona thinks the carving
could be part

Of an architectural design
depicting work stonemasons

Planned for the western part
of the chapel,

The part that was never built,
but I'm not buying it.

I think possibly these lozenges
represent a map

To north america.

I think they represent latitude,

And this particular one
right here is very interesting,

And I think
it actually represents

The latitude here at rosslyn.

The problem with this map
is that there isn't a diamond

Representing where exactly they
went after the faroe islands.

I came down here to see if there
was another clue I missed,

And I think I found it...
The star to left of the carving.

Many people don't realize it,

But when you draw
a star like this,

You're really tracing the path
venus makes in the sky,

And the goddess venus
was sacred to the templars.

In ancient times, the sailors
that were sailing west

Would follow venus
when it was an evening star,

And that's what I think
I see right there,

And if the legend of earl henry
coming over

To the americas is true,

He may have used
that five-pointed star

To make his way over here.

None of us can say for sure
what was in the mind

Of the stonemason
who made that mark.

♪♪

She definitely had a different
opinion than we do,

And as far as the five-pointed
star goes, there's no question.

That's a telltale mark
of the templars.

Mcmahon: That five-pointed star,
I've seen that in templar

Churches in portugal
and one in tomar,

In particular, where all
the grand masters are buried,

And I know you've seen it too.

I mean, it's santa maria
do olival.

When you look in
the east window,

There's a perfect
five-pointed star.

In a church,
that's obviously important.

It's the iconic symbol
for the templars.

There's an astronomical reason
why it's so important.

It's definitely
a templar symbol.

It was the most important
symbol to the templars,

And isn't it funny that it's
a very important symbol

Of the united states of america?

I know the star on the wall
near the lozenges

May look like
a separate random carving,

But I think it's part
of the same map

That includes the lozenges

And is evidence the templars
came to america.

♪♪

♪♪

All right.

Tony, I think we're getting
this figured out here.

I think what we're seeing here
bit by bit

Is a journey to the new world.

We've got four lozenges here

That correspond
to various latitudes...

Jerusalem, rosslyn,
orkney islands, faroe islands,

And the five-pointed star,
the blazing star to the west

That led ancient mariners
to the new world.

Wolter: After making a stop
at wemyss and newfoundland,

Where I saw their trademark
cross carvings,

I think the templars kept going.

What would be the most
important thing

That a ship captain
is going to be looking for

When he comes to a new place?

A safe harbor, right?

And the best bay on the whole
eastern seaboard

Of north america
is narragansett bay,

Where the newport tower
is found,

Which we've been saying
for years

Was built by none other
than the knights templar.

The newport tower in newport,
rhode island, is considered

One of the most mysterious
structures in america.

Some people have argued
it's a colonial windmill,

But I strongly disagree.

At the templars'
convento de cristo in tomar,

Portugal, there is a tower
that has the exact same

Two-story
octagonal construction.

It's just more ornate.

This is definitely
a treasure map

That the templars used
to bring their treasure

And possibly the holy grail
to north america.

I'm going to newport.

♪♪

♪♪

Wolter: The mysterious
diamond shapes

In the rosslyn chapel crypt

Aren't a mystery anymore.

I think they represent the
latitudes of key templar sites,

And the star beside them leads
here to newport, rhode island,

And a tower I'm certain
the templars built.

I'd like to dig beneath
the newport tower

To find definitive proof
it was built by the templars,

But to do that, I would need to
partner with an archaeologist.

If I ever want to dig here,
it's crucial

I get an archaeologist
like brad lidge on board.

Brad used to play major league
baseball for the phillies

And now investigates
mysteries just like this.

Wolter: So, brad, you've had
a successful career

As a professional
baseball player.

You won a world series,
and now you're an archaeologist.

How did that happen?

When I retired, I jumped
into the master's degree plan

And had a chance to do
a lot of fieldwork,

Four or five
different excavations

Over the last few summers,
and I've had a blast doing it.

Well, good for you, man.

What you're looking at here
is a structure

That is the most important
stone-and-mortar structure

In this entire country.

There's no doubt in my mind
this was built

By the medieval knights templar.

What is that evidence?

First off, the architecture
is spot-on.

Medieval knights templar
architecture... it's not close.

It's exactly right.

Secondly, see that egg-shaped
keystone?

Yes, I do.

Notice how it's not centered
in the archway?

Yup. I see that.

No self-respecting medieval
stonemason would do that.

On the winter solstice,

The shortest,
darkest day of the year

When the sun takes its
lowest arch in the sky,

At 9:00 in the morning,

An important time
of medieval prayer,

That thing illuminates from a
light box at exactly 9:00.

Between the reflection of
their beliefs set here in stone

And the fact the star
next to the lozenge map

At rosslyn chapel leads here,

I think this tower is proof
at least some templars

Settled here after their exile.

What is it going to take
for archaeologists

To take this structure
seriously?

Honestly, you've put out
some pretty impressive work.

Just being here and seeing
this architecture in person,

It's pretty clear to me

That there's a lot more
going on here.

The problem is, is you're going
to still need to have more.

Because it's a remarkable
theory,

You're going to have to have
a lot of evidence.

Quite frankly, probably what
needs to be done here

Is some kind of excavation,

Then potentially find, you know,
something with a datable object.

Now we're talking, pal.

I'm very excited for
the potential of this site

Because I think that
what has been written so far,

I think they missed
a few things.

I think so too.

♪♪

♪♪

I'm thrilled about
the possibility

Of teaming up with brad
to dig at the newport tower,

But that would be months,
maybe years from happening.

There's something I want
to check out now.

One key piece of evidence
could be right up the coast.

There's a legendary stone
carving here

Which may be the next big clue
in my quest to find

Templar treasure that's been
lost to the sands of time.

It's called
the in hoc signo vinces stone.

That phrase means,
"in this sign,

Thou shall conquer."

I learned about the inscription
from a local

Who thought it should
be studied, not buried.

I want to be the first
to date it,

And I'm bringing along brad
and an imaging expert

Named jerry lutgen to help me.

- Scott, good to see you.
- Hey. How you doing?

Wolter: Hi, bud,
nice seeing you.

Nice to see you too.

Jerry is with a company
called history tech.

He's going
to help us out today.
Okay.

And we're going to be doing some
work actually right over here.

Jerry is going to, you know,
bring in his rti technology.

Rti is designed to bring
out fine features

And be able to look at images

In ways you don't
normally think about.

Actually, instead
of telling you about it,

Why don't we go over
and I'll show you.

Excellent. Let's do it.

All right.

Wolter: I intend to use this
high-tech tool to see

If this carving
has anything in common

With what I believe are
other templar inscriptions

Found in the united states...

The kensington runestone
in minnesota,

The spirit pond runestones
on the coast of maine,

And here, in rhode island,
the narragansett runestone.

Okay, guys.

Here it is.

I know it doesn't look
like much,

But below the sand here,
there is an inscription

That I think could mark the spot
where the knights templar landed

For the first time
ever in america.

Let's get to work
and dig this thing out.

We can't do any 3-d imaging work

Or uncover any more clues
to the templar treasure

Until we uncover the stone with
a templar motto carved on it.

It was first seen around 1900,

But no one has taken it
seriously until now.

♪♪

Wolter:
We're digging for answers

And for a templar message
hidden beneath the sand.

Every wave that laps this shore
is wearing away

The inscription
the knights templar

May have left here
600 years ago.

I need to study
what's buried here

Before erosion or vandals
make it disappear.

Thieves have made off
with artifacts like this before.

The narragansett runestone
was stolen in 2012.

Authorities got it back
a year later.

Hey, guys.
I have something to show you.

♪♪

Here you go. Yup.

♪♪

Wolter: "in hoc signo vinces,"
latin for,

"in this sign,
thou shall conquer."

This is the motto of
the medieval knights templar,

And it's the motto
of the knights templar

In freemasonry to this day.

Wolter: There are the medieval
knights templar,

Who were based in jerusalem

Before the church
abolished the order,

And the knights
templar freemasons,

A fraternal group inspired
by the medieval knights.

I study the medieval
knights templar,

But I'm a member of
the masonic knights templar.

If the templars came over here,

They would have
come to this bay,

And based on this inscription,
this could be the landing point.

If that's what this is,
this inscription could be one of

The most important inscriptions
in the history of this country.

You're an archaeologist.

I mean, when you look at this,
what do you see,

And what are your thoughts?

This is pretty impressive,
and the anecdotal evidence

Is starting to add up.

You're going about
this the right way.

You're documenting things.

If we can get all
the measurements right now,

Then we're taking steps
in the right direction,

And who knows what we'll find?

We're going to be using rti.

You're the expert on it, jerry.
Tell us about it.

Reflective transformation
imaging, rti,

Is a matter of forming
3-d virtual light models

Using a composite
of many photographs.

Wolter: Rti is used in art
conservation, rock-art study,

Coin collecting, and forensics,

All fields where it pays to see
what the human eye cannot.

If rti reveals similarities
between the shape of the grooves

In the in hoc carving

And the other templar
stone nearby,

The narragansett runestone,

It could suggest
the same people carved both.

Working together, maybe we can
get to the bottom of this,

Obviously, with jerry's help.

Absolutely, yeah.
Let's get going.

All right. Sounds good.

♪♪

Wolter: Keeping the camera
in the same spot,

We take more than 40 photos

While the angle
of the light source changes.

When I see the results
back in my lab,

The depth and shape of the
carvings will be crystal clear.

Well, jerry, how'd we do?

I think we got what we needed.

What we have to do now
it take it back to the lab,

And then we'll know
what we've got.

This rti is really,
really important.

It could be the key to solving
this mystery and determining

If this thing will tie
into earl henry sinclair,

Who legend says came here
with the knights templar

Right around 600 years ago.

♪♪

♪♪

Wolter: It didn't take jerry
long to compile the data.

I'm especially interested in
the shape of the carved grooves

And whether they're similar to
the templar carvings I've seen.

Lutgen: I think we took
on that day

About 40 different
photographs...

Yeah, yeah.

...All from different
live angles,

And we reconstruct that
using software to create that.

Think of it as
a virtual flashlight.

Okay. The templar voyage
would have started in scotland,

Would have gone to newfoundland,
and perhaps right here

Where they made landfall
in the new world,

Right where the newport tower
is and this stone,

So let's get after it
and see what we got.

Let's see what we got.

I'm seeing something
really interesting.

We've got more of
a u-shaped groove.

It looks like the rest
of the letters are like that.

That reminds me of...
Well, you've heard

Of the narragansett
runestone inscription?

Narragansett, oh,
absolutely right.

That inscription,
which has a hooked x,

Is definitely connected
to the templars,

Has that u-shaped groove.

The narragansett runestone
has rounded grooves

Almost identical to those found
on the in hoc inscription,

And I'm inclined to believe
the same templar party

Carved both inscriptions
using the same type of tool.

There's certainly
a huge amount of wear.

That is for sure.

If we want to push this back 600
or so years,

I think we might be able
to do it here.

I've got something
I'd like to check out.

I'm playing off of a hunch
here, jerry.

Remember, we talked about you

Can actually measure the height
of these and the lengths?

Yes.

This is the image on which
we can perform the measurement.

Well, first thing,
I'd like to go

From the edge of the groove,

The top edge of the groove
in the word,

"in," all the way
to the o in signo,

So the entire length
of the first line.

Okay, hit it there.

♪♪

Okay, 46.6 centimeters.

Perfect, and now, I'd like to do
the same thing with vinces.

♪♪

23.3.

23.3.

Well, I'll be damned.

I don't think it's a coincidence
that the ratio

Of the length of the first line
to the second line

Is exactly two to one.

Well, what's so important
about this?

Those dimensions are
extremely important,

Indeed sacred,
in freemasonry today

And in templarism
back in medieval times.

The same dimensions can be found
in the kensington runestone,

An artifact found in minnesota

With the templars'
trademark hooked x.

It's exactly twice as tall
as it is wide,

And the meeting rooms,
at freemasonic lodges

Like the one I belong to,
are intentionally designed

With that precise ratio.

This is really important.

The weathering looks advanced.

It could very well
be 600 years old.

This is a very important
bread crumb

In the trail
that I've been following.

This carving could mark
the landing point

For the knights templar

When they came to
the new world around 1400.

This thing is vitally important,
and maybe, just maybe,

This is a huge clue
to the templar treasure.

I want to talk to allen dawe.

He was the one that
started me on this journey,

And I want to give him
the results

On its incredible ending.

♪♪

♪♪

I've always known the templars
were clever,

But what I've learned since
my last time in newfoundland

Makes me believe it even more.

Their cryptic symbols
and hidden clues

Are promising leads for me.

Hey, allen. Hi, scott.

How you doing, man?
Nice to see you.

Yeah.

Well, I'm anxious
to talk to you here.

How was your trip to scotland?

I had a fantastic trip
to scotland.

Let me show you something here.

Remember the triple-barred cross
I got so excited about?

- Right.
- Now, when I went to scotland,

I went into a place
called wemyss caves.

Look at that.
Dawe: Wow, same one.

It's almost identical.

We've got a connection
that ties scotland

And the new world together,
and the common denominator

Is the knights templar,
but there's more.

While I was in scotland,
I also went to rosslyn chapel,

Which was built
by the sinclair clan,

And down in the crypt,

There is a mysterious
carving on the wall,

And it has a series of lozenges,
and they correspond to latitude.

Right.

And what those lozenges are
is a map,

Essentially a treasure map
that leads to the huge harbor

That's in rhode island.

Okay.

It's a place called
narragansett bay,

And it just so happens
in narragansett bay,

We have evidence
of templars being there.

Let me show you this. "in"...

Yep..."hoc signo vinces."

Okay. That's a latin phrase for,

"in this sign,
thou shall conquer."

Do you know what the battle cry
for the knights templar is?

No. Right there.

Wow. That's incredible.

This inscription carved in stone
in the bedrock

In newport, rhode island,

Marks the end of the templars'
journey from europe

To the new world,

But it marks the beginning of
their journey in the new world.

It's amazing.

Just to have an answer
on what this could mean

And who carved it
is super exciting.

Hey, listen.
If it wasn't for you,

I never would have
gone on this journey,

So I really want to thank you
for pointing this out.

I had a great time.
Yeah, thank you, scott.

What's your next step?

My next step is finding
the treasure itself.

♪♪

Wolter:
Just like the knights templar

When they landed on the shores
of the new world,

I've been on
an incredible journey,

But my adventure
is far from over.

Now more than ever,

I'm convinced that somewhere
in this country,

The templars hid a treasure
containing secrets

That most of the world
doesn't want to believe exists.

I think I'm on the cusp
of a breakthrough,

And despite what the skeptics
and deniers might claim,

I'm going to get to the truth
because sometimes,

History isn't
what we've been told.

♪♪

If you have a mysterious
artifact or site I need to see,

I want to know about it.

Go to travelchannel. Com
/americaunearthed.